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What Follows is True: Crescent Hotel
The luxurious Crescent Hotel opened its doors in 1886, later falling on hard times. In 1937, the hotel was converted into a cancer clinic by Norman Baker, advertising he had the cure for cancer.
Located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the Crescent Hotel is considered one of the most haunted hotels in the U.S. However, the tragic years when it operated as a cancer hospital haunt the hotel far more than tales of specters.
What Follows Is True: Crescent Hotel blends oral histories, newspaper articles and Norman Baker's biography to examine this historical happening and yesteryear's monsters. Sean Fitzgibbon's fully painted graphic nonfiction utilizes atmospheric imagery that transports readers into the hotel's dark and bizarre past.
Located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the Crescent Hotel is considered one of the most haunted hotels in the U.S. However, the tragic years when it operated as a cancer hospital haunt the hotel far more than tales of specters.
What Follows Is True: Crescent Hotel blends oral histories, newspaper articles and Norman Baker's biography to examine this historical happening and yesteryear's monsters. Sean Fitzgibbon's fully painted graphic nonfiction utilizes atmospheric imagery that transports readers into the hotel's dark and bizarre past.
232 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2021
4 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 10, 2025
This is the first graphic novel I have ever read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the vibes of the art I felt like I could hear music as I watched the story unfold. I do wish it got into the nitty gritty details a little bit more but overall very informative. I love learning history especially about my state!
February 13, 2023
Not a ghost story, but if you love charlatans this is a great book. Perhaps on the edge of too slow, it unwinds slowly with ample documentation of its sources, textual and visual.
May 8, 2023
Loved it!!
September 30, 2024
Really well done and eerily atmospheric graphic novel about the Crescent Hotel's time as a quack cancer hospital during the Great Depression. Fitzgibbon blends the story of his research on the project with the history of the hotel and town with a biography of Norman Baker, the scammer responsible for it, and a chronicle of his rise and fall. The artwork is stunning.
September 1, 2025
I was hoping to get a bit more out of this based on what I already know about the hotel from a ghost tour I went on, but this is an informative overview of the years leading up to and during which Norman Baker was committing his crimes.
Norman Baker, who had a radio show and was never a real doctor, bought the hotel in the 1930s and opened it as a hospital. He claimed to have the cure for cancer (spoiler alert, he never did), which drew many people from all around to Eureka Springs, a quaint town known for its healing spring water.
It was harrowing learning about so many patients desperate to try any of Baker’s experiments. When one woman left the hospital and did not return, Baker sent her nasty letters that basically said “if you don’t come back, you don’t really want to be healed” and “you need to let me do more ‘treatments’ on you so I can get more of your money.” Despicable.
The author also did a great job of showing how Eureka Springs locals were eager to have more tourism at the time, despite their growing feelings of wariness. They slowly began to realize how Baker was a conman faking everything for money and fame.
The structure with the art can be a bit confusing at times, but I got used to it. There are a number of citations and a blending of oral accounts throughout. The author provides information he gathered from interviews, newspaper articles, court documents, etc.
The art is beautifully done and conveys a sinister history that haunts the hotel to this day.
I recommend this graphic novel for a quick but informative look into the life of Norman Baker and his time at the Crescent Hotel, but I also recommend looking into other stories associated with the hotel! It has a history full of intrigue, danger, and hauntings!
Norman Baker, who had a radio show and was never a real doctor, bought the hotel in the 1930s and opened it as a hospital. He claimed to have the cure for cancer (spoiler alert, he never did), which drew many people from all around to Eureka Springs, a quaint town known for its healing spring water.
It was harrowing learning about so many patients desperate to try any of Baker’s experiments. When one woman left the hospital and did not return, Baker sent her nasty letters that basically said “if you don’t come back, you don’t really want to be healed” and “you need to let me do more ‘treatments’ on you so I can get more of your money.” Despicable.
The author also did a great job of showing how Eureka Springs locals were eager to have more tourism at the time, despite their growing feelings of wariness. They slowly began to realize how Baker was a conman faking everything for money and fame.
The structure with the art can be a bit confusing at times, but I got used to it. There are a number of citations and a blending of oral accounts throughout. The author provides information he gathered from interviews, newspaper articles, court documents, etc.
The art is beautifully done and conveys a sinister history that haunts the hotel to this day.
I recommend this graphic novel for a quick but informative look into the life of Norman Baker and his time at the Crescent Hotel, but I also recommend looking into other stories associated with the hotel! It has a history full of intrigue, danger, and hauntings!
April 25, 2023
I received this book was a gift from a friend. It's a history book in the format of a graphic novel, weaving between historic scenes and the author's modern day interviews. The subjects are the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, AR and the strange life Norman Baker, a legitimate inventor turned radio station proprietor / anti-medical conspiracy theorist turned medical fraud promoter.
The subject matter is morbidly fascinating. Baker was either a dedicated charlatan or at some point drank his own proverbial Kool-Aid and went crazy (maybe both. He might have been a forerunner of the modern acerbic cable news hosts.
The art style is atmospheric, but ultimately not something I liked due to the extensive shadows and often vague details. Other people with different tastes will no doubt enjoy it more.
I think the format is interesting and could work better with different subject matter. Personally, I'd rather learn about the subject matter in more traditional format like Quacks and Crusaders: The Fabulous Careers of John Brinkley, Norman Baker, and Harry Hoxsey. Kudos to the author's creativity; it's not not my thing.
The subject matter is morbidly fascinating. Baker was either a dedicated charlatan or at some point drank his own proverbial Kool-Aid and went crazy (maybe both. He might have been a forerunner of the modern acerbic cable news hosts.
The art style is atmospheric, but ultimately not something I liked due to the extensive shadows and often vague details. Other people with different tastes will no doubt enjoy it more.
I think the format is interesting and could work better with different subject matter. Personally, I'd rather learn about the subject matter in more traditional format like Quacks and Crusaders: The Fabulous Careers of John Brinkley, Norman Baker, and Harry Hoxsey. Kudos to the author's creativity; it's not not my thing.
April 4, 2025
What Follows is True: Crescent Hotel details a morbidly fascinating period during the Crescent Hotel's history when charlatan Norman Baker, claiming to have the cure for cancer, converted the place into a cancer hospital. Author Fitzgibbon has done a masterful job weaving newspaper reports and oral accounts into the story, depicting the hotel's history and Baker's life. The stunning artwork only enhances the haunting tale.
What Follows is True provides a timely reminder that unscrupulous, science-denying swindlers have been around forever. Unfortunately, there will always be those desperate to buy what's being peddled.
This book's starred review by Kirkus Reviews is well deserved!
What Follows is True provides a timely reminder that unscrupulous, science-denying swindlers have been around forever. Unfortunately, there will always be those desperate to buy what's being peddled.
This book's starred review by Kirkus Reviews is well deserved!
July 28, 2022
Eureka Springs is one of the more interesting small towns in America, and the Crescent Hotel is possibly the most interesting building there. It’s known as one of the most haunted buildings in America, but this isn’t an account of those hauntings. It’s an account of the man who turned it into a hospital for a relatively short period of time in the late 1930s.
The art is generally sepia in tone, and accurately portrays the architecture of the area. It works well with the sparse text to tell the facts of the story. Well worth the read.
The art is generally sepia in tone, and accurately portrays the architecture of the area. It works well with the sparse text to tell the facts of the story. Well worth the read.
October 28, 2022
I feel like this was a pretty decent introduction to this topic as someone who hadn’t even heard of the Crescent Hotel before reading this, but I also feel like it made a complex narrative kind of difficult to follow. While I appreciate the sepia-toned illustrations, I don’t think that this building’s history is best told in graphic format. Still good and worth the read if you’re interested, but maybe not the best execution.
November 10, 2023
The artwork is haunting- i read this before going to the crescent hotel for a paranormal weekend. I was able to read in one night. I could not put it down and i am specifically read for entertainment. There is so much emotion in each page sharing the story of the hotel specifically Baker and his exploits in Eureka. The information provided is accurate to the stories shared at the hotel. It’s a great read and if you like to collect books- this one is a must.
August 25, 2023
The art is amazing in this graphic novel. The novel feels light on story. Based on the number of references cited it would have been nice to see the story flushed out a bit more as it felt like the words in the references boxes sprinkled through the novel outnumbered the story being recounted. But the art is worth picking this up to peruse.
June 14, 2024
Having visited Eureka Springs only a few weeks before reading this graphic nonfiction book, I can confirm: It's a fantastic representation of a very strange town and famously haunted hotel! I've heard the Crescent Hotel's ghost lore since I was a kid, and I really enjoyed diving into the actual history behind it. Sean Fitzgibbon's art is perfectly creepy and brings so much to the story.
April 5, 2023
I read this because I have been to the Crescent and found the Barker story very intriguing. This was beautifully illustrated and interesting to read. The constant break for citations is why I docked a star—I felt like it disrupted the flow of the story.
July 26, 2022
What a disturbing and interesting history this hotel has. And who knew?!?! HIGHLY recommend. The writing is incredible and the art - exquisite.
July 27, 2022
An amazing story and a beautiful work of Art!
July 27, 2022
This is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about the eerie Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, AR. The story is fascinating and very disturbing. What a wonderful addition to my bookshelf!
July 27, 2022
You won't want to put this book down! Not only is the story fascinating, but the illustrations are masterfully crafted and completely captivating. I couldn't recommend more!
August 17, 2022
Beautifully illustrated & meticulously researched.
March 26, 2023
Graphic novels aren't typically my go-to, but this is so well done and depicts an interesting and horrific piece of local history for us Northwest Arkansans.
April 22, 2023
Beautiful art. Not a ghost story of a place, but of our culture, who seems to fall in love with charlatans.
May 18, 2023
Neat little graphic novel. Art was cool. Want to make the Rogers Rec version of this.
June 6, 2023
An interesting look at a time period at the Crescent Hotel. More of a history of Norman Baker. Great illustrations throughout. I enjoyed this.
December 1, 2023
Visually beautiful, enthralling account of the Crescent Hotel and the life of Dr. Norman Baker. A must if you are interested in American History and/or thrillers!
April 19, 2024
The journey of emotions throughout this graphic novel felt so haunting and real. The perspective and illustrations were incredible. Truly the best!
February 23, 2025
This was my first non-fiction graphic novel. The illustrations are beautiful, and add to the eeriness of the Crescent Hotel as a cancer hospital.
March 19, 2025
Beautiful illustrations and very well researched! I met the author and he was very passionate and informed on Eureka Springs, so glad I got to read his work!
March 20, 2023
Wow I had no idea of the existence of this place, or of Norman Baker! I’m intrigued, I now want to see Eureka Springs and this Crescent Hotel for myself! Great artwork, really lends to the story telling in a unique way.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews